KUALA LUMPUR – PAS spiritual leader Datuk Hashim Jasin, has called on Youth and Sports Minister Hannah Yeoh to forgive the Perak PAS Commissioner, Razman Zakaria, for his controversial statement referring to her as the ‘daughter of YTL,’ insisting that everyone makes mistakes.
PAS Spiritual Leader, urged the matter to be put to rest, stressing that such errors are common in politics.
He pointed out that other political parties have made similar mistakes in the past, apologised, and been forgiven, and suggested that the same should apply in this case.
“But as ordinary human beings, we are not free from making mistakes. I believe that in the case involving the Perak PAS Commissioner, he realises his mistake and has apologised,” Hashim told Scoop yesterday.
“He has apologised, and other people or parties have made mistakes, apologised, and been forgiven. Why can’t this case be forgiven?” he added.
The controversy began when Razman claimed that Yeoh was the daughter of the late Tan Sri Dr Yeoh Tiong Lay, the founder of the YTL Group. Razman later issued an apology to both parties, admitting his error in linking Yeoh to the YTL conglomerate during a 19-second video at the Ceramah Kebangkitan Rakyat event in Seri Iskandar, Parit, on Sunday.
However, Yeoh announced that she would take legal action, stressing that defamation should not be tolerated, particularly by people of faith.
Sungai Petani MP Mohammed Taufiq Johari criticised PAS leadership, especially President Tan Sri Abdul Hadi Awang and Deputy President Datuk Seri Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man, for remaining silent on the issue and allowing defamation to become a norm within the party.
Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, Chairman of Perikatan Nasional (PN), also reminded PN leadership to verify facts before making public statements.
Recently, Kepala Batas MP Dr Siti Mastura Muhammad was fined RM830,034.75 after being found guilty of defaming three DAP leaders: Tan Sri Lim Kit Siang, Lim Guan Eng, and Teresa Kok.
Hashim supported Muhyiddin’s reminder, stressing the importance of fact-checking while acknowledging that even the most cautious individuals can make mistakes.
“Muhyiddin’s advice to be careful and verify is good, we should act that way. However, even with caution, it doesn’t guarantee accuracy. Even careful people can make mistakes. When mistakes happen, it is common, as humans are not free from error. So, we ask for forgiveness,” Hashim said. – February 2, 2025